1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing methods for forming planarized layers within microelectronic fabrications. More particularly, the present invention relates to chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing methods for forming, with enhanced properties, planarized layers within microelectronic fabrications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Microelectronic fabrications are formed from microelectronic substrates over which are formed patterned microelectronic conductor layers which are separated by microelectronic dielectric layers,
As microelectronic fabrication integration levels have increased and microelectronic device and patterned microelectronic conductor layer dimensions have decreased, it has become increasingly common within the art of microelectronic fabrication to employ planarizing methods, such as but not limited to chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing methods, for forming planarized microelectronic layers within microelectronic fabrications. In turn, planarized microelectronic layers are desirable within microelectronic fabrications insofar as planarized microelectronic layers typically provide superior substrate surfaces upon which may be formed additional microelectronic layers within microelectronic fabrications.
While planarizing methods, such as but not limited to chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing methods, are thus highly desirable in the art of microelectronic fabrication, planarizing methods, and in particular chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing methods, are not entirely without problems in the art of microelectronic fabrication. In that regard, it is often difficult to form within microelectronic fabrications chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized layers with enhanced chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing uniformity, such as but not limited to enhanced across-substrate chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing uniformity, enhanced substrate-to-substrate within lot chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing uniformity and enhanced lot-to-lot chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing uniformity.
It is thus desirable within the art of microelectronic fabrication to provide chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing methods, materials and apparatus which may be employed for forming within microelectronic fabrications chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized microelectronic layers with enhanced uniformity.
It is towards the foregoing object that the present invention is directed.
Various chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing methods, materials and apparatus have been disclosed in the art of microelectronic fabrication for forming, with desirable properties, chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized microelectronic layers within microelectronic fabrications.
For example, Koos et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,941, discloses a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method and a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing apparatus for forming, with an enhanced chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing endpoint detection capability, a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized microelectronic layer within a microelectronic fabrication. To realize the foregoing object, the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method and the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing apparatus employ an optical endpoint detection scheme which in turn employs a laser light beam reflected from an edge of a substrate which is chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized while employing the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method and the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing apparatus, and further wherein the laser light beam has an incidence of at least about 70 degrees with respect to a normal to a surface of the substrate which is chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized while employing the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method and the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing apparatus.
In addition, Mei, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,405, also discloses a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method and a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing apparatus for forming, with an enhanced chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing endpoint detection capability, a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized microelectronic layer within a microelectronic fabrication. To realize the foregoing object, the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method and the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing apparatus employ an electrical resistive lapping monitor when chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing a microelectronic layer within a microelectronic fabrication while employing the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method and the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing apparatus.
Further, Sandhu, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,408, similarly also discloses a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method and a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing apparatus for forming, with an enhanced chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing endpoint detection capability, a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized microelectronic layer within a microelectronic fabrication. To realize the foregoing object, the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method and the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing apparatus employ a thermal emission measurement from a thermally sensitive component formed upon an exposed surface of a substrate which is chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized while employing the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method and the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing apparatus.
Finally, Sun et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,538, similarly also disclose a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method and a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing apparatus for forming, with an enhanced chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing endpoint detection capability, a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized microelectronic layer within a microelectronic fabrication. To realize the foregoing object, the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method and the chemical mechanical polish planarizing apparatus employ a radiation sensor coupled to a chuck which is employed for rotating a substrate within the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method and the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing apparatus, and further wherein the radiation sensor is coupled with a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing apparatus controller absent use of physical transmission media such as an electrical cabling assembly or an optical fiber cabling assembly.
Desirable in the art of microelectronic fabrication are additional methods, materials and apparatus which may be employed for forming, with enhanced uniformity, chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized microelectronic layers within microelectronic fabrications.
It is towards the foregoing object that the present invention is directed.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method for forming a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized microelectronic layer within a microelectronic fabrication.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method in accord with the first object of the present invention, wherein the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized microelectronic layer is formed with enhanced uniformity.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method in accord with the first object of the present invention and the second object of the present invention, which method is readily commercially implemented.
In accord with the objects of the present invention, there is provided by the present invention a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method for forming a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized layer within a microelectronic fabrication.
To practice a first embodiment of the present invention, there is first provided a first control substrate, a first series of product substrates and a second control substrate. There is then sequentially chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized, while employing a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method, the first control substrate to provide a planarized first control substrate, the first series of product substrates to provide a planarized first series of product substrates and the second control substrate to provide a planarized second control substrate. There is then determined for the planarized first control substrate and the planarized second control substrate a corresponding first value of a parameter within the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method and a corresponding second value of the parameter within the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method. Finally, there is then interpolated between the first value of the parameter and the second value of the parameter to determine an interpolated value of the parameter which corresponds with a planarized first product substrate within the planarized first series of product substrates.
To practice a second embodiment of the present invention, there is provided in conjunction with the first embodiment of the present invention a second series of product substrates which is planarized after the second control substrate while employing the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method, but wherein there is extrapolated from the first value of the parameter and the second value of the parameter an extrapolated value of the parameter which serves as a guide to control the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method such that a second product substrate within the second series of product substrates is formed with enhanced uniformity.
There is provided by the present invention a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method for forming a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized microelectronic layer within a microelectronic fabrication, wherein the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized microelectronic layer is formed with enhanced uniformity. The present invention realizes the foregoing object by employing at least one of: (1) an interpolation between; and (2) an extrapolation from, a pair of measured values of a parameter within a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method employed with respect to a pair of control substrates to provide at least one of: (1)an interpolated value of the parameter; and (2) an extrapolated value of the parameter, within the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method with respect to a product substrate within a series of product substrates. By determining an interpolated value of the parameter, further processing of the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized product substrate (or alternatively a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized microelectronic layer formed thereupon) may be effected within enhanced process control and thus enhanced uniformity. Similarly, by determining an extrapolated of the parameter, additional process control may also be effected to provide a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized product substrate For alternatively a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized microelectronic layer formed thereupon) with enhanced uniformity.
The method of the present invention is readily commercially implemented. The present invention employs methods and materials as are generally known in the art of microelectronic fabrication, but employed within the context of specific process controls which provide the present invention. Since it is thus at least in part a process control which provides the present invention, rather than the existence of methods and materials which provides the present invention, the method of the present invention is readily commercially implemented.